Coastal localities report bumper fishing catches

Hanoi (VNA) – Coastal localities have reported
bumper fishing catches in the first two months of this year, with total seafood
catches estimated at 473,900 tonnes, up 2.2 percent year on year, according to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Fishermen in the north central provinces of Ha Tinh and
Quang Binh brought home large amounts of anchovy, mackerel and flying fish,
while those in the south central provinces of Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen enjoyed
good catches of ocean tuna.

In the southernmost province of Ca Mau, each local ship has caught
between 50-100 kg of ‘khoai’ fish each day after the Lunar New Year holiday,
earning profit of 4-20 million VND.

Meanwhile, inland fish catches totalled 23,000 tonnes in the
two month period, down 14.8 percent from the same period last year, the MARD
said.

Aquaculture output was estimated at 276,000 tonnes, up 5.1
percent year on year. In particular, tra fish output in the Mekong Delta, the
main production area of the fish, increased by 8 percent to 163,300 tonnes.
However, the prices of tra fish as material for processing have reached record
high, fluctuating between 28,000-29,500 VND (1.23 – 1.3 USD) per kg, reaching 30,000
VND per kg at times.

Vietnam’s tra fish exports
reached 1.8 billion USD last year, up 4 percent against 2016, according to the
Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Mekong Delta localities reported total tiger prawn output in
the period at 29,800 tonnes, up 8.1 percent, and that of white-leg prawn at
10,800 tonnes, up 2.2 percent.